Reception place shortage 2012 - HCC's response

The following is the letter received today by parents who had written to Herts County Council to express their concern that, given the oversubscription of nursery places for September 2011, their children may not be allocated reception places in September 2012.

Please note that the link to the HCC report and minutes in the letter does not work (!) but if you want to read the report to Cabinet you can use the link on the left hand side of this page. The most relevant bits are as follows:

4.15 While it has been possible to confirm viable schemes at Greenway and Westfield First Schools in Berkhamsted, respondents have requested that the County Council considers more fully the broader issue of education provision in the town.

4.16 It is considered that there is merit in taking forward a professional debate on this issue with the local group of headteachers and consider the deliverability of any emergent alternatives during the summer term 2011. While this is happening it would be prudent to continue with the development of the two schemes in case the County Council subsequently concludes that they should be progressed.

...

7.3 ... . Officers have yet to reach the point where satisfactory schemes or solutions can be defined and agreed for these projects/areas, and their costs – bearing in mind uncertainties round where funding might come from – are equally uncertain. For the time being, therefore, no proposals are being made. But at some point it will be necessary to bring forward some or possibly all of these schemes against whatever funding remains plus whatever additional monies can be attracted from government.


While it is encouraging that today's letter states that "the over-riding priority for the County Council is that there should be sufficient school places available within the town for September 2012 and beyond" it is disappointing that they still do not have any clear plans - and (having now given the go-ahead for 31 other primary school expansion projects across the county) are now reliant on "whatever funding remains" to resolve the issues in Berkhamsted (plus three other schools in Hertford, Stevenage and Watford). And of course they do not intend to do anything about the "perceived" shortage of nursery places.

Your Children Need You

Herts County Council's response

More than 10% of Berkhamsted children have not been given nursery places this year

The following press release has been issued by the Berkhamsted Parents Action Group today: